Footwear-heating mold

ABSTRACT

A footwear-heating mold for insertion inside a shoe or a boot to heat and dry the same, comprising a shoelike structure made of heat-conducting material, a heating element located inside such structure, and electric conductors connected to the heating element and adapted for connection to a power source for energizing the heating element.

United States Patent 2,078,675 4/1937 Lockwood 219/552 X 1,054,2592/1913 219/215 X 1,058,963 11/1920 219/215 X 1,543,828 6/1925 219/215 X1,733,611 10/1929 219/215 X 2,063,370 12/1936 Dutton 12/128.5 2,712,0516/1955 Schramm 219/523 Primary Examiner-C. L. Albritton Attorney-RaymondA. Robic ABSTRACT: A footwear-heating mold for insertion inside a shoeor a boot to heat and dry the same, comprising a shoelike structure madeof heat-conducting material, a heating element located inside suchstructure, and electric conductors con nected to the heating element andadapted for connection to a power source for energizing the heatingelement.

PATENTED-lll 4m 3632.963 SHEET 2 BF 2 INVENTOR Andre SSE A TT NEYFOOTWEAR-HEATING MOLD This invention relates to a footwear-heating moldfor insertion inside a shoe or a boot to heat and dry the same.

Electric devices for warming the feet have been used for years. However,such devices generally comprise heating pads or electrodes which arepermanently secured to a shoe and consequently form an integral partthereof.

n the contrary, the main feature of the invention is to provide afootwear-heating mold which is removable from the footwear and may beinserted into shoes or boots of various sizes for heating or drying thesame before use. The heating mold in accordance with the invention isconsequently not a pennanent part of the footwear.

The footwear-heating mold, in accordance with the invention, comprises ashoelike structure of heat-conducting material, a heating elementlocated inside said structure, and electric conductors connected to saidheating element and adapted for connection to a power source forenergizing said heating element.

The invention will now be disclosed with reference to the accompanyingdrawings which illustrate various embodiments of the invention and inwhich:

FIG. 1 illustrates a first embodiment of a footwear-heating mold;

FIG. 2 illustrates the sole part of the mold illustrated in FIG.

FIG. 3 illustrates a section taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 illustrates a second embodiment of the invention positionedinside a boot; and

FIG. 5 illustrates a third embodiment of an integrally molded structurein accordance with the invention.

In FIGS. 1 to 3 of the drawings, there is shown a footwearheating moldcomprising a heat-conducting body including an upper part 12 made in theshape of a shoe and a lower part 14 made in the shape of a sole. Aheating element 16 is positioned in cooperating slots in theheat-conducting body 10 and insulated therefrom. The heating element 16is connected to electric conductors 18 which are adapted for connectionto a power source (not shown). The upper and lower parts 12 and 14 aresecured together by means of screws 20.

The heat-conducting body 10 may be made of any heat-conducting materialwhich may be molded or shaped in the desired form.

The heating mold also comprises a handle 22 secured to the upper part 12of the shoe. The handle 22 is covered with a layer 24 of heat-insulatingplastic to prevent burning of the fingers when a warm mold is withdrawnfrom a shoe.

FIG. 4 illustrates a second embodiment of the invention comprising anheat-conducting structure 40 positioned inside a boot 42.Heat-conducting body 40 includes an upper part 44 and a lower part 46secured together by means of bolts 48. A

lower plate 50 is welded or otherwise secured to lower part 46 of theshoelike structure while an upper plate 52 is secured by means of screws54 to lower plate 50. Lower and upper plates 50 and 52 have cooperatingembossments formed therein for receiving a heating element 56 which iselectrically insulated from the plates 50 and 52.

To the upper plate 52 is secured a tenninal block 58 to which areattached the terminals of heating element 56 and the terminals ofelectric conductors 60 by means of bolts 62 and 64. A thermoswitch 66 isalso secured to the upper plate 52 and connected in series with theheating element 56 for deenergizing the heating element when thetemperature of the mold has reached a predetermined value.

The electric conductors 60 protrude through the upper part 44 of theheating mold and are insulated therefrom by means of the insulatingsleeve 68.

A handle 70 is also secured to the upper part 44 of the mold and iscovered by a layer 72 of heat-insulating material to prevent burning ofthe fingers when the heating mold is withdrawn from the boot 42.

FIG. 5 illustrates a third embodiment of the invention in which theheatinfi mold is made of an integrally molded shoelike structureOmcludingahandle 82 mol ed therewith.

A heating element 84 is embedded in the shoelike structure andconductors 86, which are connected to heating element 84, are embeddedin handle 82.

I claim:

1. A footwear-heating mold for insertion inside a shoe or boot to heatand dry the same comprising a shoelike structure of heat-conductingmaterial made of two parts secured together, a heating element, a firstand a second plate secured to each other and mounted within the twoparts of said shoelike structure, said first and second plates havingcooperating embossments therein for receiving said heating element,electric conductors connected to said heating element and adapted forconnection to a power source for energizing said heating element, and athermoswitch secured to one of said plates and connected in series withsaid heating element for automatically deenergizing said heating elementwhen the temperature of the mold has reached .a predetermined value.

2. A footwear-heating mold as defined in claim 1 wherein said secondplate includes a terminal block secured thereto and to which areattached the terminals of the heating element and of the electricconductors.

3. A footwear-heating mold as defined in claim I, further comprising ahandle secured to said mold in the upper part thereof for withdrawingthe mold from the shoe or boot.

4, A footwear-heating mold as defined in claim 3, wherein said handle iscovered with a heat-insulating plastic material for preventing burningof the fingers when the mold is withdrawn from the shoe or boot.

1. A footwear-heating mold for insertion inside a shoe or boot to heatand dry the same comprising a shoelike structure of heatconductingmaterial made of two parts secured together, a heating element, a firstand a second plate secured to each other and mounted within the twoparts of said shoelike structure, said first and second plates havingcooperating embossments therein for receiving said heating element,electric conductors connected to said heating element and adapted forconnection to a power source for energizing said heating element, and athermoswitch secured to one of said plates and connected in series withsaid heating element for automatically deenergizing said heating elementwhen the temperature of the mold has reached a predetermined value.
 2. Afootwear-heating mold as defined in claim 1 wherein said second plateincludes a terminal block secured thereto and to which are attached theterminals of the heating element and of the electric conductors.
 3. Afootwear-heating mold as defined in claim 1, further comprising a handlesecured to said mold in the upper part thereof for withdrawing the moldfrom the shoe or boot.
 4. A footwear-heating mold as defined in claim 3,wherein said handle is covered with a heat-insulating plastic materialfor preventing burning of the fingers when the mold is withdrawn fromthe shoe or boot.